“Ryan?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

The rushing sound on the other end resolved into the unmistakable roar of highway traffic.

“Sophia, you have to listen to me,” Ryan gasped, his breath hitching.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“A rest stop outside Albany,” he said.

I could hear him shivering through the receiver.

“Ethan took the draft,” I said, keeping my voice flat. “He thinks it’s over.”

“It’s not over,” Ryan stammered. “Linda… she’s going to use it to pay off the offshore accounts tonight.”

“I know,” I said.

“No, you don’t understand,” Ryan cried, his voice cracking. “They’re watching the accounts. The people I owe. They know about the inheritance.”

I looked over at Marcus, who was watching me intensely from behind his desk.

“Thank you for calling, Ryan,” I said.

“Sophia, wait—”

I pressed the red button on the screen and cut him off.

My hand was trembling slightly, but my chest felt cold and steady.

I placed the phone on the desk.

“Was that the brother?” Marcus asked, his hand hovering over his keyboard.

“Yes,” I said. “He’s terrified.”